An Easy Way to Start Learning Your Family''s Genealogy

A family story is like a puzzle. Everyone leaves a trail of clues. Families come together because they have a common bond with one another, sharing a name and traditions. Exploring family roots and sharing past memories ensures each unique heritage can live on.

Ancestry.com has created affordable customized Our Name In History books to give your family a peek into their history by learning about their last name. Each book is a collection of family facts unique to your last name including: name origin and definition, demographics, life expectancy rates, immigration details, occupations and civil war statistics.

The Internet is a vast resource for family ancestry, but oftentimes this research takes a lot of time and effort to unearth. By visiting this Web site, you can check if information is available for your last name and by ordering a book, you can learn about the origins of your family''s last name. Ancestry.com historical researchers and genealogy experts have collected more than 5 billion names from records such as the U.S. Census, passenger lists, immigration records, military records and birth, marriage and death records. Collected information is then utilized for each customized book.

Our Name In History books are available for nearly 200,000 last names, accounting for 85 percent of all U.S. households. The abundance of collected information is a great start to learning about your family roots, without spending hours at your local historical center.

This book will become a treasured memory to pass down through generations. It also can be an inspiration for each family member to talk about their childhood, their other relatives and forgotten ways of life. Maybe grandma will be inspired to talk about her great grandfather who was in the Civil War, or how as a child she celebrated the holidays by candlelight. Story-telling and sharing memories are important parts of a family''s traditions and also can be a fun activity. Use your Our Name In History book to initiate the conversation.

After learning the general history of your last name you might be motivated to continue your exploration. The Our Name In History book includes an easy guide for getting started and comes with a free introductory version of Family Tree Maker, a special software product for building, customizing, searching and sharing your family history.

So if your child has ever asked you about your last name, or if you''ve ever been curious yourself about your last name and relatives that share it, an Our Name In History book is the key to start the journey to learning more.

To learn more about Our Name In History books visit www.ournameinhistory.com.

Copyright © 2007, ARAnet, inc.